शौनक उवाच किमर्थं राजशार्दूल: स राजा जनमेजयः। सर्पसत्रेण सणां गतोऽन्तं तद्वदस्व मे॥
Shaunaka said: son was Why did that best of kings, king Janamejaya, resolve to destroy the snakes in a Snake-sacrifice?
निखिलेन यथातत्त्वं सौते सर्वमशेषतः। आस्तीकश्च द्विजश्रेष्ठः किमर्थं जयतां वरः॥
O Sauti, tell us in full the true story. Why did the best of the twice-born Astika, the foremost of ascetics, rescue the snakes from the blazing fire?
मोक्षयामास भुजगान् प्रदीप्ताद्वसुरेतसः। कस्य पुत्रः स राजासीत्सर्पसत्रं य आहरत्॥ स च द्विजातिप्रवरः कस्य पुत्रोऽभिधत्स्व मे।
Whose the monarch who performed the Snake-sacrifice? Whose son was that best of the twice-born, (who saved the snakes)? Tell us this.
सौतिरुवाच महदाख्यानमास्तीकं यथैतत्प्रोच्यते द्विजः। सर्वमेतदशेषेण शृणु मे वदतां वर॥
Sauti said: O best of speakers, the story of Astika is very long, I shall relate it in full. O Listen.
शौनक उवाच श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यशेषेण कथामेतां मनोरमाम्। आस्तीकस्य पुराणाह्मणस्य यशस्विनः॥
Shaunaka said : I am desirous of hearing in detail the interesting story of Astika, the illustrious Brahmana.
सौतिरुवाच इतिहासमिमं विप्राः पुराणं परिचक्षते। कृष्णद्वैपायनप्रोक्तं नैमिषारण्यवासिषु॥
Sauti said: m The Brahmanas call this history, recited by Krishna Dvaipayana, a Purana, to the dwellers of Naimisharanya.
पूर्वं प्रचोदितः सूतः पिता मे लोमहर्षणः। शिष्यो व्यासस्य मेधावी ब्राह्मणेष्विदमुक्तवान्॥
It was formerly narrated by my learned father Lomaharshana, the disciple of Vyasa, as requested by the Brahmanas.
तस्मादहमुपश्रुत्य प्रवक्ष्यामि यथातथम्। इदमास्तीकमाख्यानं तुभ्यं शौनक पृच्छते॥
I was present at the time, O Shaunaka, As you ask me, I shall recite it exactly as I heard it.
कथयिष्याम्यशेषेण सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्। आस्तीकस्य पिता ह्यासीत्प्रजापतिसमः प्रभुः॥
(Listen) to this all sin-destroying history. Astika's father was as powerful as the Prajapati.
ब्रह्मचारी यताहारस्तपस्युग्रे रतः सदा। जरत्कारुरिति ख्यात अर्ध्वरेता महातपाः॥
He was a Brahmachari, always engaged in austere penances, regular in meals, a great Rishi of controlled sexual desire. He was known by the name of Jaratkaru.
यायावराणां प्रवरो धर्मज्ञः संशितव्रतः। स कदाचिन्महाभागस्तपोबलसमन्वितः॥
He was the foremost of Yayavaras, a man of rigid vows, highly religious and endowed with great ascetic powers. Once upon a time this great ascetic,
चचार पृथिवीं सर्वां यत्र सायंगृहो मुनिः। तीर्थेषु च समाप्लावं कुर्वनटति सर्वशः॥
Being Yatra Sayan Griha (living in the place where night overtook him), roamed all over the world, bathed in many sacred waters and visited many holy shrines.
चरन्दीक्षां महातेजा दुश्चरामकृतात्मभिः। वायुभक्षो निराहारः शुष्यन्ननिमिषो मुनिः॥
He practised difficult austere penances; and feeding on air, remaining in fast and renouncing sleep forever, he roamed (over the world.)
इतस्ततः परिचरन् दीप्तपावकसप्रभः। अटमानः कदाचित्स्वान् स ददर्श पितामहान्॥
As bright as a blazing fire, he roamed about and thus roving about, he one day saw his ancestors,
लम्बमानान्महागर्ते पादैरूधैरवाङ्मुखान्। तानब्रवीत्स दुष्टवैव जरत्कारुः पितामहान्॥
Hanging their heads down in a great hole, their feet pointing upwards. On seeing them, Jaratkaru addressed his ancestors thus,
के भवन्तोऽवलम्बन्ते गर्ने ह्यस्मिन्नधोमुखाः। वीरणस्तम्बके लग्नाः सर्वतः परिभक्षिते॥ मूषकेन निगूढेन गर्तेऽस्मिन्नित्यवासिना।
“Who are you thus hanging in the hole, your heads downward, by a rope of the Virana fibre which has been eaten by the rats that live secretly near this hole?"
पितर ऊचुः यायावरा नाम वयमृषयः संशितव्रताः। संतानप्रक्षयाब्रह्मन्नधो गच्छाम मेदिनीम्॥
The Ancestors said : We are Rishis of austere penances, called Yayavaras. We are sinking down into the earth for want of an offspring.
अस्माकं संततिस्त्वेको जरत्कारुरिति स्मृतः। मन्दभाग्योऽल्पभाग्यानां तप एव समास्थितः॥
We have a son, named Jaratkaru. Unfortunate we are, that wretch has adopted asceticism.
न स पुत्राञ्जनयितुं दारान्मूढश्चिकीर्षति। तेन लम्बामहे गर्ने संतानस्य क्षयादिह॥
And therefore that fool does not think of marriage to raise up offspring. It is for this reason, namely for the want of offspring that we are thus suspended in the hole.
अनाथास्तेन नाथेन यया दुष्कृतिनस्तथा। कस्त्वं बन्धुरिवास्माकमनुशोचसि सत्तम॥
Having means, we are like sinners who have no means. O excellent man, who are you that are sorrowing for us like a friend?
ज्ञातुमिच्छामहे ब्रह्मन् कोभवानिह न: स्थितः। किमर्थं चैव नः शोच्याननुशोचसि सत्तम॥
O Brahmana, we wish to know who you are that stand near us and why? O excellent iman, are you sorrowing for us?
जरत्कारुरुवाच मम पूर्वे भवन्तो वै पितरः सपितामहाः। ब्रूत किं करवाण्यद्य जरत्कारुरहं स्वयम्॥
Jaratkaru said: You are my sires and grand-sires. I am that very Jaratkaru. Tell me what I should do.
पितर ऊचुः यतस्व यत्नवांस्तात संतानाय कुलस्य नः। आत्मनोऽर्थेस्मदर्थे च धर्म इत्येव वा विभो॥
The Ancestors said : Try your best to do that by which you can raise up an offspring to extend our line. You will then do an act meritorious both for you and for us.
न हि धर्मफलैस्तात न तपोभिः सुसंचितैः। तां गतिं प्राप्नुवन्तीह पुत्रिणो यां व्रजन्ति वै॥
O Son, not by the fruits of virtue, nor by the hoarded-up ascetic penances, does one acquire such merit as is acquired by one who is a father.
तद्दारग्रहणे यत्नं संतत्यां च मनः कुरु। पुत्रकास्मन्नियोगात्त्वमेतन्नः परमं हितम्॥
Therefore, O son, set your mind upon marriage and offspring at our command. It will do us the highest good.
जरत्कारुरुवाच न दारान्वै करिष्येऽहं न धनं जीवितार्थतः। भवतां तु हितार्थाय करिष्ये दारसंग्रहम्॥
Jaratkaru said : I shall not marry, nor shall I earn money for my own self. But I shall marry to do you good.
समयेन च कर्ताहमनेन विधिपूर्वकम्। यथा यधुपलप्स्यामि करिष्ये नान्यथा ह्यहम्॥ सनाम्नी या भवित्री मे दित्सिता चैव बन्धुभिः। भैक्ष्यवत्तामहं कन्यामुपयंस्ये विधानतः॥
If a bride can be had whose name will be the same as mine, whose friends will give her to me willingly and as a gift, O fathers, under these conditions, if I get a girl, your command will be obeyed. I shall duly marry her according to the ordinances of the Shastras.
दरिद्राय हि मे भार्यां को दास्यति विशेषतः। प्रतिग्रहीष्ये भिक्षां तु यदि कश्चित्प्रदास्यति॥
But who will give his daughter to a poor man like me to be my wife? I shall, however, accept the girl who will be given to me as gift.
एवं दारक्रियाहेतोः प्रयतिष्ये पितामहाः। अनेन विधिना शश्वन्न करिष्येऽहमन्यथा।॥
O sires, I shall try to marry such a girl. Having said so, I shall not act otherwise.
तत्र चोत्पत्स्यते जन्तुर्भवतां तारणाय वै। शाश्वतं स्थानमासाद्य मोदन्तां पितरो मम॥
O fathers, I shall beget offspring on her for your release, so that you may attain to the heaven, called Shashvata and rejoice there at will.